Coreopsis plant named ‘Sweet Marmalade’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Coreopsis  plant named ‘Sweet Marmalade’, characterized by its upright, outwardly spreading and mounded plant habit; vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; freely flowering habit with numerous inflorescences per plant; daisy-type inflorescences with yellow to light orange-colored ray florets; relatively resistant to Powdery Mildew; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Coreopsis verticillata.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Sweet Marmalade’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Coreopsis plant, botanically known as Coreopsis verticillata, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Sweet Marmalade’.

The new Coreopsis plant is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of Coreopsis verticillata ‘Creme Brulee’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 16,096. The new Coreopsis plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within a population of plants of ‘Creme Brulee’ in a controlled outdoor nursery environment in Niitsu City, Niigata, Japan in July, 2006.

Asexual reproduction of the new Coreopsis plant by vegetative cuttings in a controlled environment in Niitsu City, Niigata, Japan since September, 2006, has shown that the unique features of this new Coreopsis plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Coreopsis have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Sweet Marmalade’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Sweet Marmalade’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Coreopsis:

-   -   1. Upright, outwardly spreading and mounded plant habit.     -   2. Vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Freely branching habit.     -   4. Freely flowering habit with numerous inflorescences per         plant.     -   5. Daisy-type inflorescences with yellow to light orange-colored         ray florets.     -   6. Relatively resistant to Powdery Mildew.     -   7. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Coreopsis differ from plants of ‘Creme Brulee’ primarily in ray floret coloration as plants of ‘Creme Brulee’ have bright yellow-colored ray florets.

Plants of the new Coreopsis can be compared to Coreopsis ‘Moonbeam’, not patented. Plants of the new Coreopsis differ from plants of ‘Moonbeam’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Coreopsis are more vigorous than plants of         ‘Moonbeam’.     -   2. Plants of the new Coreopsis have brighter green-colored         leaves than plants of ‘Moonbeam’.     -   3. Plants of the new Coreopsis have larger inflorescences than         plants of ‘Moonbeam’.     -   4. Plants of the new Coreopsis and ‘Moonbeam’ differ in ray         floret color as plants of ‘Moonbeam’ have light yellow-colored         ray florets.     -   5. Plants of the new Coreopsis are more resistant to Powdery         Mildew than plants of the cultivar Moonbeam.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Coreopsis plant. The photographs show the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Coreopsis plant.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Sweet Marmalade’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the top of the sheet is a close-up view of typical inflorescences of ‘Sweet Marmalade’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown one-gallon containers in Lancaster, Pa. during the spring in a polyethylene-covered greenhouse and under conditions and practices which approximate those generally used in commercial Coreopsis production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 18° C. to 27° C. and night temperatures ranged from 13° C. to 18° C. Plants were pinched one time and had been growing for six months when the photographs and description. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. Measurements represent averages for typical flowering plants.

-   Botanical classification: Coreopsis verticillata ‘Sweet Marmalade’. -   Parentage: Naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of Coreopsis     verticillata ‘Creme Brulee’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No.     16,096. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About one week at 25° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About one month at 25°             C.         -   Root description.—Thin, fibrous.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form/growth habit.—Upright, outwardly spreading and             mounding plant habit; inverted triangle; freely branching             habit with about 22 lateral branches. Vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 52 cm.         -   Plant diameter or spread: About 48 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 32 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm.             Internode length: About 5.5 cm. Aspect: Mostly upright to             outwardly spreading. Strength: Strong, flexible. Texture:             Sparsely pubescent. Color: Close to 146B. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, simple.         -   Length.—About 4.5 cm.         -   Width, with lobes.—About 2.8 cm.         -   Shape.—Three to five-lobed; deeply dissected.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Attenuate.         -   Margin.—Entire, deeply incised.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Pubescent.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to N137B.             Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 137B. Fully             expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to N137C; venation,             close to 146B. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close             to 146B; venation, close to 146B.         -   Petioles.—Length: About 3.2 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm.             Texture, upper surface: Sparsely pubescent. Texture, lower             surface: Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper surface: Close to             146B. Color, lower surface: Close to 146C. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Daisy-type (single) terminal and axillary             inflorescences with ray and disc florets arranged             acropetally on a capitulum. Inflorescences positioned above             and beyond the foliage on moderately strong peduncles;             inflorescences face mostly upright.         -   Flowering habit.—Freely flowering habit; about 40             inflorescences developing per lateral branch.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Time to flower.—Under natural season conditions, plants             flower from June through July in Lancaster, Pa.;             inflorescences persistent.         -   Post-production longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good             substance for about three to five days on the plant.         -   Inflorescence bud.—Height: About 8 mm. Diameter: About 7 mm.             Shape: Initially rounded becoming ovoid with development.             Color: Close to 9B.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 3.2 cm. Depth (height):             About 1 cm. Disc diameter: About 8 mm. Receptacle height:             About 6 mm. Receptacle diameter: About 8 mm. Receptacle             color: Close to 137C.         -   Ray florets.—Length: About 1.8 cm. Width: About 8 mm. Shape:             Obovate. Apex: Emarginate; ragged appearance. Base:             Attenuate. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,             glabrous; slightly longitudinally ridged. Number of ray             florets per inflorescence: About eight arranged in a single             whorl. Aspect: Flat; perpendicular to peduncle. Color: When             opening, upper surface: Close to 7A. When opening, lower             surface: Close to 7B. Fully developed, upper surface: Ground             color, close to 9A; mid-section and towards the apex,             overlain with close to 163B. With development, overlain             color becomes closer to 163A. Fully developed, lower             surface: Close to 9B.         -   Disc florets.—Shape: Tubular, slender; apex dentate. Length:             About 8 mm. Diameter: About 1.5 mm. Number of disc florets             per inflorescence: About 160. Color, immature: Apex: Close             to 153B. Mid-section: Close to 165B. Base: Close to 150C.             Color, mature: Apex: Close to 153D. Mid-section: Close to             153A. Base: Close to 150C.         -   Phyllaries.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 16 in two             whorls. Length, outer whorl: About 8 mm. Length, inner             whorl: About 4 mm. Width, outer whorl: About 3 mm. Width,             inner whorl: About 2 mm. Shape: Elliptical. Apex: Acute.             Base: Truncate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper and lower surfaces:             Close to 146C.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 6.7 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm.             Strength: Moderately strong. Aspect: Mostly upright to about             20° to 30° from vertical. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color:             Close to 146B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium (present on disc florets             only): Quantity per disc floret: Five. Filament length:             About 2.5 cm. Filament color: Close to 145C. Anther shape:             Oblong, slender. Anther length: About 2 mm. Anther color:             Close to 165B. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color: Close to             21A. Gynoecium (present on disc florets only): Quantity per             floret: One. Pistil length: About 8 mm. Stigma shape:             Bi-parted. Stigma color: Close to 17A. Style length: About             4 mm. Style color: Close to 150C. Ovary color: Close to             157D.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Coreopsis have been shown     to be relatively resistant to Powdery Mildew. Plants of the new     Coreopsis have not been shown to be resistant to pests and other     pathogens common to Coreopsis. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Coreopsis have exhibited good     tolerance to rain and wind and have been observed to tolerate     temperatures from about −10° C. to about 40° C. 

1. A new and distinct Coreopsis plant named ‘Sweet Marmalade’ as illustrated and described. 